Celebrate Great American Beer Festival // GABF Events in Denver

Monday October 2nd

Falling Rock Tap House, one of the nation’s premier beer bars, serves as the unofficial hub for GABF week. The bar’s countdown clock hits zero at 5 p.m. Monday and the bar begins serving special taps. This year’s list includes Horse and Dragon, Upslope and special collaborations to celebrate the bar’s 20th anniversary.

Denver-based photographer Dustin Hall is offering a look at his Brewtography Project in conjunction with the big festival. Hall’s photos on the Colorado craft beer culture are showcased in an exhibit at Hotel Teatro. And of course, there’s beer. The hotel and The Nickel bar are offering a beer brewed by Hall and Call to Arms Brewing called Beautiful Impression, an oak-fermented brett farmhouse ale.

Freshcraft is pouring Almanac, Atom, Black Project, Crooked Stave and a couple Jester King and Jolly Pumpkin collaborations. This Denver beer bar gets the good stuff, so check their website for more details on tappings all week long. More details.

Paramount Cafe is hosting its 7th annual beer festival, featuring more than 60 beers from a list of Colorado stalwarts, including Odell, Epic, New Belgium, Left Hand and more. The event benefits the Miami Animal Alliance, a no-kill animal shelter in Colorado and Oklahoma. The tickets cost $20 and available at the cafe. More details.

DenverOne of the most unique events each year, Beers Made By Walking asks brewers to go to hikes outside and make beers inspired by the plants in their regions. “Each beer is a unique, drinkable portrait of the landscape,” according to organizers.The event will features more than 35 breweries — including 20 beers were made by Colorado breweries just for the event. The breweries expected at the event include: Black Project, Four Noses, Haw River, Jester King, Odd 13, Burial Beer, Fonta Flora Brewing, Paradox Brewing, Trophy Brewing and TRVE Brewing. Tickets cost $40 and proceeds benefit the museum. More details.

Wednesday October 4th

Crooked Stave’s distribution arm is pulling from its top-of-the-line craft beers portfolio for a tasting at Hops and Pie, one of Denver’s top beer bars. Twenty three breweries are on the list, including Almanac, Ale Apothecary, Blackberry Farms, Jackie O’s, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Pure Project, Societe and Two Roads. And Hops and Pie says to expect “additional treasures.” The event starts at 11:30 a.m. and the beers will pour until they are gone.

Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione will host a special tasting of the brewery’s renown 120 Minute IPA in four vintages, from 2014-2017. In addition to other special drafts, if you wear a wacky hat, you can get special prizes.

The historic Tivoli Brewing building on the Auraria campus is hosting a mini-festival featuring its beers and others that you won’t find at GABF. Admission is free but you can purchase a $25 ticket for unlimited tastings. More details.

Wynkoop Brewing will award the winner of its Beer Drinker of the Year competition free beer for life, not to mention serious bragging rights. The top contestants will compete live in the final round starting at 5 p.m. More details.

Denver’s sour masters Crooked Stave host their own festival each year during GABF week to celebrate barrel-aged beer — whether boozy stouts or funky sours. It’s one of the most coveted tickets for the week, despite it’s steep $100 price tag — and the event is now sold out.

The brewery list features some of the most coveted beer makers in the nation, including many of which that don’t pour at GABF. Among those expected: Casey Brewing and Blending, Rare Barrel, Creature Comforts, Shelton Brothers brands, Scratch Brewing, 3 Floyds Brewing, Alesong Brewing and Blending, Side Project Brewing, Casa Agria Specialty Ales, Arizona Wilderness, Ale Apothecary and Bell’s Brewing. More details.

Euclid Hall Beer Dinner 6 p.m. // Euclid Hall, 1317 14th St., Denver

Euclid Hall is preparing a special five-course beer dinner featuring Marble Brewing and Telluride Brewing, including a special collaboration beer and live music. Tickets are $85. More details.

Three of the most exclusive breweries in the nation are partnering with seven chefs for a beer dinner at one of Denver’s top restaurants. Mercantile, located in Union Station, invited Trillium Brewing, Russian River and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales to pour seven beers at a five-course dinner. Tickets are $150. More details.

If you want to taste some of the nation’s best IPAs, this is your event. Hosted by Melvin Brewing and Lawson’s Finest Liquids, this event at Falling Rock Tap House features IPAs from nearly two dozen breweries, including many you can’t find outside the brewery.

Thursday October 5th

Denver’s TRVE (“True”) Brewing is inviting a few beer friends to Hops and Pie for a tap takeover like no other. The “friends” list is eclectic and delicious: Commonwealth, Finback, 7venth Sun, Burial, Three Taverns, Modern Times, Kern River, Gigantic and Brewery Bhavana.

Seven specialty kegs of Boulevard Beer is reason enough for a lunchtime excursion to Euclid Hall ahead of the opening GABF session. But there’s an even better reason: a vertical of the Love Child series from No. 3 to No. 8 at 2 p.m. Look for more sour beers from an assortment of breweries later in the day.

Denver’s Call to Arms Brewing showcasing all its wine- and port-barrel aged beers from the last year on one day. For some, it’s the final five gallons in existence. The beer styles include farmhouse, saison, Belgian quad, IPA and stout. Additional guest taps and bottles are available. Live music starts at 5:30 p.m.

Here’s how the Firkin Fiasco works: Take your favorite Epic Beers, add crazy ingredients from fruit to hops to spices and put them in a cask to mature. Then tap them all the first night of GABF. It’s a safe bet you’ll find plenty of unique beers. Tickets required. More details.

Loud metal music and beer, that’s Denver’s TRVE Brewing in a nutshell. So the brewery is hosting a concert on the first night of GABF at Hi-Dive. Other amazing breweries are joining the event, including 7venth Sun from Florida, Brewery Bhavana and Burial Beer from North Carolina, Three Taverns from Georgia and Finback from New York. Tickets are $10. More details.

Beer Hall Brawl10 p.m. // The Rackhouse, 2875 Blake St., Denver

What goes great with beer? Wrestling, apparently. Melvin Brewing, Bierstadt Lagerhaus and WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan are hosting a pro wrestling event at the River North brewery and the $25 ticket includes a beer. Duggan is the official spokesman for Melvin’s 2×4 IPA, an appropriate tie given his weapon of choice was a piece of 2-by-4 lumber. More details.

Friday October 6th

More than 60 craft brewers pack into two floors of the McNichols Civic Center in downtown Denver to showcase some rare beers, from big stouts to well-aged sours. The event is sold out (tickets cost $115 with VIP going for $165). The 68 breweries at this year’s event include The Alchemist, Brooklyn Brewery, Cascade Brewing, Fremont Brewing, Hardywood, Libertine Brewing, Lost Abbey, 3 Floyds Brewing and Yazoo Brewing. More details.

Virginia’s Adroit Theory is offering beers you can’t find elsewhere at Mockery Brewing in Denver. The two breweries also will release a collaboration beer, Heart of a Hellraiser, an old Bruin with yeast propagated from flowers near Adroit Theory’s brewery. The beer was left to open ferment in whiskey barrels as it was driven back to Colorado, picking up all the natural yeast and bacteria of the countryside.

West Coast Night 7-9 p.m. // Public School 303, 1959 16th St., Denver

Two hop masters, Ninkasi and Stone, will showcase their art at a West Coast Night tap takeover at Public School 303 in downtown Denver. More details.

Most the brewers will attend the GABF awards ceremony Saturday morning, so Denver Beer Co. is inviting you to come eat their breakfast. It’s quite a way to pregame the afternoon GABF session, too. Tickets are $15 ahead of time, $18 at the door. More details.

Call to Arms Brewing is welcoming brewers party for those who leave the Saturday awards ceremony without any hardware. It’s even offering 4th place consolation medals, in addition to drink specials. Winners are welcome, too.

Sam Adams Octoberfest 3-10 p.m. Larimer Square, Denver

The Great American Beer Festival is not the only show in town. Sam Adams will host its own Octoberfest event blocks away in Larimer Square (between 14th and 15th streets on Larimer) with music from George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, G. Love & Special Sauce and Corey Harper. Sam Adams will pour Boston Lager, OctoberFest, Rebel IPA and a gluten-free cider. Tickets are $45 to attend. More details.

Sunday October 8th

Bloody beers and beermosas are what’s needed at the conclusion of GABF week. Lone Tree Brewing is hosting a hangover brunch with Mama Said Eat cooking the food. Tickets are $15 and include your first beer. More details.